Door latch



April s, 1923. y1,e ss4,ss1

` H. w. HANcocK DOOR LATCH Filed Avril 27. 1927 www PATENT OFFICE,

HARRY W. HANCOCKF JACKSON, IIGHIGAN.

noon Laren application nea April 27, lea?. serial no. leases.

The invention relates generally to door latches and is directed more particularly to an improvement in automobile door latches.

of the latch bolt is permitted. This method,"

however, is disadvantageous since the cost of manufacture is increased and in a comparatively short time the constant wear has destroyed the accurate adjustment.

One object of this invention is to provide a new and improved construction. for latches which may be readily adjusted to take up the looseness between relatively moving parts. Y v

Another object 'of the invention ls to provide an improved means adapted to permit various parts of the latch to be manufactured and assembled with a comparatively large amount'of looseness or play and to compensate for such looseness afterassembly.

Still anothe object is to provide means of this character which is readily accessible for adjustment after the assembly `has been mounted in operative position;

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the .following description and in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary interior elevation of a door latch assembly taken on the line'1-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the invention. l y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the interior of the latch assembly taken on the ,line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view partially in section ofthe wear plate. Fig. 5 is an end view of the latch.' Although the invention is susceptible'o various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown and herein described in detail the preferred embodiment but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed but intend to ,cover 'all modifications and alternative constructions falling within 'the s the invention as expresse claims.

irit and scope of in the appended Ylletvreen the split sections of the axis ofthe bore formed on the cut 16.

I have shovvnthe invention as being embodied in an automobile door latch assemblyv of the usual construction. In the present instancev a side wall 6 and a face plate 7 comprise a part of theassembly casing, which encloses suitable mechanism (not shown) for operating a retractable latch bolt 8. The head 9 of the latch bolt extends through a suitable aperture 10 in the face plate 7 for engagement in the customary manner with a keeper. It will at once be apparent that an exceedingly accurate construction and litting of'the bolt inthe aperture in the face plate is necessary to prevent transverse movement of the bolt therein and that as the latch is used considerable looseness will be developed due to wear of the bolt and face plate.

In attaining the objects of my invention I have provided a means which is mounted in a latch assembly in guiding relation with the retractable latch bolt, which -means includes a part adjustably movable perpendicularly to the axis of reciprocation of the bolt to maintain a proper guiding relation' therefor.

In the present instance this means comprises a substantially at plate 11 having arecess 12 at one side of substantiall the width and depth of the shank 13 adjacent the head 9 of the bolt. The plate 11 is adapted to be secured to the inner side of the face plate' 7 in any suitable manner, as by the rivets 14, with the recess 12 in re" 'striation with the bolt aperture 10 in the ace p ate.

' The adjustment by which the vertical dimension oft-the recess may be varied comprises a spht boss positioned adjacent one edge of the recess 12 and in this embodiment made rigid with the late 11. A cut extends substantially therethrough paralle to the adjacentedge of the recess 12 and divides the .bossinto two 'irregularly sized sections, Vthe smaller of which is adjacent the edge, of the recess.

By this arrangement of alit boss adjacent the recess it will be seen at any means wedged between thesplit .sections of the boss will move the smaller of the -sections into or ont of the reces to vary the width thereof. To this end I have herein shown. a tapered bore 17 extending through-the late 11 and e bo with 16 in the boss, which provi es the split boss v no p ' havinga recessV thereinsecured'to the said The tapered bore is tappld to receive a kerfed conical screw 18 t o h the plate 11 which, when screwed into t e boss, acts as the necessary wedge to vspread the sections of the boss apart. As shown in Fig. 5, an aperture 19 is .provided in theface of the latch assembly casing, which opening relgisters with the tapered bore, 17 Awhen the ta e-up plate is properly mounted on the faceplate. This permits the engagement of a screv driver or like tool ,withl the conical screw 8 to make adjustments.

VIii-operation the take-up plate 11 is assembled as described with the recess 12 in the take-up plate embracin three sides of the latch bolt shank 13. n this positionl the small section of the. split boss 15 abuts Y one edge of the shank andA withthe opposite edge of thel recess 12 provides a guide Azo through which the latch bolt 8 reciprocates.

.After .assembly the smaller section ofthe boss is removed by means of the wedging action of the conical screw 18 in the tapered bore 17, to eleminate any' play of the bolt resulting'from inaccuracy in the manufacture of the parts. Due'to the accessibility of the adjustingscrew 18 through the opening in theface plate 7, subsequent adjustment to take up the looseness caused by wear of the parts may be readily made from time to time. f

From lthe foregoing description it'will be apparent that I have provided a simple latch take-u plate which is readily and easl Sembly'.

ily adjusta le -to"` eliminate the rattling' caused by looseness and play between the latch bolt and its associated parts, whether, due to inaccurate manufacture or to wear;

`which adjustment, moreover,.may be quickly made from the exterior ofthe latch asvI claimv as my invention: 1. Incombination with a door latch having a casing and a latch bolt withdrawably extending therethrough, a take-up plate casmgwith said recessembracing said holt,A a spllt boss carried -by said to abut one-'edge of said bolt, said boss' aving a' tapered bore therein formed on the plane oiV Bald split, and .adjustable wedging meansengaged in said. tapered vbore for moving one4 part of said boss to eagag said bea, Said casin'grhavin an o l thereinin registrywithsaiwedgmgmoanstopermitac-V 'imacat plate 7' that one of said parts abuts the bolt, Vand means engaging said boss between said two .partsfor moving lsaid part adjacent the -bolt ltoward said bolt. a A

3. A take-up plate for a latch having a casing and a latch bolt extendin therethrough, comprising a plate secur tosaid casing, a projection carried by said plate in abutting relation with 'said bolt, and means engaging said projection for moving rsaid projection toward said bolt. l

' 4. latch having, in combination, a casing,.a bolt extending therethrough, 'guide means mounted on said casing adjacent said bolt arranged to be moved transversely of said bolt to eliminate looseness'between said boltl and 'said casing, and means engaging said guide means for eecting said,e move,

ment. l

5. A latch having, in combination, a casing, a bolt extending therethrough, and means mounted lon said'casing adjacent said bolt arranged to be moved transversely of said bolt to eliminate looseness between said vbolt and said casing.

ing, a bolt extending therethrough, a boss secured to the inner side of said casing adable to' separate the .portions of said -boss 'alil move one o'fl said portions toward said tion, a late havingl a latch' recess erein adapted to lbe mounted in a latch assembly with said bolt in said recess,

a projection carried by said plate to extend along said bolt' and arranged to be moved inwardly of said recess to engage' said and means engaging said -to eilect such movement.

In testimony fixed my signature.

projection adap 6. A latch'having, in combination, a caswhereof, IY have hereunto' af-` 'HARRY W.-

7. A latch, Wear plate havin ,in combina- Y lt receiving 

